Early on Saturday morning Isabelle and I left with a group of other Lorenzo students for a trip to Switzerland. After a 4.5-hour bus ride we arrived in Tirano, a town on the border of the Italy and Switzerland. It was a very cute town that caters to the tourists coming to enjoy the surrounding mountains. From here we took the Bernina Express into the Alps. The Bernina Express connects Tirano to Chur, Switzerland. This was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me. The train had huge panoramic windows to see the breathtaking views as we climbed high into the mountains. We got to ride the train for 2.5 hours on our way to St. Moritz. I didn’t want to blink the whole time. It was some of the most beautiful views I have seen. We did get really high up, well above the tree line. I saw some really neat waterfalls, lakes and even a few tiny towns tucked into the valleys. It seemed like we would keep climbing forever! I took way to many pictures and none of them do it justice.
We arrived in the beautiful resort town of St. Mortiz. It is located on the highest summit of the Eastern Alps. It is considered one of the oldest and most famous winter resorts in the world and I could see why. It was gorgeous! The town has two parts the Dorf (the old part of downtown) and the Bad (the area around the lake). Our hotel, Hotel Sonne, was located near the lake. After a minor delay (we walked in and our room wasn’t clean) we got checked in and then headed out to buy some tasty Swiss chocolate. After that we took a refreshing walk around Lake St. Mortiz. It was another postcard perfect picture. I swear everything here could be a postcard! It is just amazing. It was nice to experience cool fall weather and enjoy the outdoors. It was so calm and relaxing! Next was dinner at the hotel and it was delicious! I was so hungry and it was a four-course meal. First was a basil soup and then a salad. Yes… I love salads now! Then it was a plate of penne and tomato sauce and some bbq chicken. The best part had to be the desert, chocolate pudding with a strawberry! It was an awesome dinner and a great way to end the day.
The next morning we got back on the bus to head to Lake Como. The drive was through one of the most scenic areas in the Alps. It was awesome to do in morning with the sun reflecting perfectly off the peaks of the mountains. We drove through more resort towns and saw lots of people with backpacks. I would love to come back here some day to do some hiking. I really wanted to take one of the trams up to the top of the peaks in St. Moritz but we didn’t have time. I think I am going to try and plan a trip back to Switzerland for later this semester to do some skiing. J
One of the craziest parts of the drive was this winding road down into one of the valleys. Let me tell you making hairpin turns in a double-decker bus can be pretty scary! I don’t think I would have attempted that road with my car, let alone a bus! Luckily we had an amazing bus drive and we made it down safely. We also drove right through boarder control to get back into Italy. The guards just waved at us. I have now been to two other countries in Europe and neither one has checked my passport. Kind of odd but oh well!
Next we drove around apart of Lake Como. Lake Como is a huge lake nestled amongst the Alps just inside the Italian border. We drove through beautiful little towns along the lake with lots of fancy villas. Some day when I am rich and famous I will buy a villa here and you can all come visit me! J From the town of Cadenabbia we took a ferry ride to Bellagio one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. George Clooney has a villa there! Lake Como makes the shape of an upside down Y and Bellagio sits right where the lake splits into two legs. We walked out to the point and the views are unbelievable. I bought a really pretty silk scarf. The Lake Como area is known for its silks so it was a good excuse to splurge on a nice souvenir. Next we stopped in Como, which is located at the head of the lake. I had some amazing gelato (white chocolate and strawberry) while watching a speed boat race on the lake. I liked Como, but it was a lot more crowded than the other places we stopped. Then it was back to the bus for the ride to Florence. I passed out for about half of the trip and that made it go faster.
It was a great weekend! I really want to go back to that area someday. I am really enjoying these weekend trips, but I always find myself wishing they were longer. I wish I could spend more time exploring the all the areas I visit. They are each so unique and beautiful! I can see how people get addicted to traveling. As soon as I get home from one trip I am already thinking about what is next! I want to take in as much as I can while I am here. I am going to take this weekend off though and chill in Florence. It will be nice to explore around here again and go to some of the weekend markets. I still love it here and I cannot believe how fast time is going!
